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(No Model.)

P. 0. BROWN. PBRMUTATION LOOK.

No. 497,761. Patented May 23, 1 893.

, UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

PHILIP C. BROWN, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, ASSIGNOR OFONE-HALF TO VERLING STANLEY, OF SAME PLACE.

PERMUTATlON-LOCK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 497,761, dated May 23,1893.

Application filed January 25,1893- Serial No. 1 (N -l To aZZ whom it mayconcern:

Be it known that I, PHILIP 0. BROWN, a citizen of the United States,residing at VVashingtou, in the District of Columbia, have in- 5 ventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Permutation-Locks; and I dohereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact descriptionof the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to whichit appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to certain new and useful improvements inpermutation locks, and is in the nature of an improvement upon the lockfor which I filed an application for Letters Patent on the 13th day ofAugust, 1892, Serial No. 443,010, and it consists in the novelconstruction and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully described andafterward definitely pointed out in the claims, due reference being hadto the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification,wherein- Figure 1 is a rear view of my improved lock, showing thetumblers turned to the first position to register each other; Fig. 2, asimilar View, showing the tumblers turned to the second position toenable the latch to be released and opened; Fig. 3,avertical, centralsection taken on the line 1-2, Fig. 1; Fig. 4, a similar view taken onthe line 3-4, Fig. 2; Fig. 5, a front view of the lock, the dial beingshown in dotted lines; Fig. 6, an enlarged detail view of the adjustablestop; Fig. 7, a perspective view of the different parts composing thelock and Fig. 8, a perspective view of the tumbler F.

Referring to the drawings, the letter A indicates the lock-casingconsisting of a substantially annular metallic casting recessed 0 uponopposite sides and provided with two upwardly projecting cars a, a,which are each slotted, as at a, a, for the reception of a pivot pin Bwhich passes through the upper end of a hooked latch C, the latch beingheld in position by means of a spring D which is secured at one end tothe casing A, and at its free end bears against the upper end of thelatch C and exerts a force to keep the toe 0 thereof constantlyretracted from the tumblers, as will more fully hereinafter appear.

The casing A is centrally apertured for the reception of the knobspindle E which has formed integrally therewith, a dial e bearing radialmarks, letters, or numerals on its periphery in the usual manner.Loosely rest ing within the inner face of the casing A is a tumbler Fconsisting of an annulus cut or slotted as at f and having securedthereto a curved leaf spring G.

H indicates the other tumbler consisting of a disk adapted to looselyfit within the tumbler F and provided with a projecting flange h, whichvery slightly exceeds in diameter the tumbler F, and is slotted, as ath, for the purpose hereinafter described.

I indicates a butterfly nut adapted to be screwed over the inner end ofthe knob spindle E and secure the tumblers in position, thescrew-threaded portion of said spindle passing through a centralaperture in the tumbler H. The under side of the tumbler H is providedwith a central annular recess 7L2, which is adapted to fit over and upona similarly shaped washer 71 between which latter and the nut I thetumblers are adapted to be se- 75 cured in place. The casing A isslotted, as at a within which slot is fitted athreaded stop or lug J,provided with a nut j, whereby said lug or stop may be adjusted to anydesired position relatively to the casing and secured at such point bymeans of the nntj. As before described, the tumbler F consists of anannulus slotted as at f loosely confined between the casing A and thetumbler H, the latter being also slotted as at h, the tumbler 8 5 Fhaving secured to its periphery a leaf spring G, one end of which, as g,bears upon the periphery of the flange h of the tumbler I-I, thusnormally causing the one to turn with the other, while the other end 9projects tangen- 9c tially from the periphery of said tumbler in suchmanner as to engage the stop or lug J as it is rotated and thus arrestthe rotation or movement of said tumbler F, when the end g of the springG abuts thereagainst, while if 5 the knob spindle be turned in theopposite direction, both tumblers revolve in unison, the end g of thespring G bearing upon the periphery of the flange h of the tumbler H,and causing the tumbler F to revolve therewith, the end 9 of the springG slipping idly over the stop or lug J. The remaining despindle passedtherethrough from the outside,

the washer, tumblers, and thumb-screwbeing secured to the inner end ofthe knob-spindle as previously described, and in the order shown inFig.7 of the drawings. To the lid of the box is secured a downwardlydepending hooked catch K, beveled as at It so as to engage the hookedlatch C. By pressing the lid of the box down, the fixed catch K pressesback the latch C and locks the box. In order to open the box, the knobspindle E must be turned in a given direction, say to the left, for agiven distance-which distance is determined by one of the letters ornumerals on the indicating dial. In rotating said knob-spindle, thetumbler H is rotated therewith and by means of the spring G also rotatesthe tumbler F until the end g of said,-

spring abuts against the stop J which arrests farther rotation of thetumbler F, while the tumbler H is continued in its rotation until thedial registers the proper letter. At this point, shown in Fig. 1, thetwo tumblers will be in position to cause the slots f and h of therespective tumblers to register. The knob-spindle is now rotated in theopposite direction until the dial registers the proper letter or numeralto bring them into the position shown in Fig. 2, the two tumblers duringthis movement rotating in unison, as before described. At this point,the lock is in position for being opened, which is accomplished bylifting upon the lid, when the hooked catch K will partially rotate thelatch 0 upon its pivot-pin B, the toe of the latch O passing through theslots f and h of the two tumblers. Afteropeningthe lock,the combinationmay be destroyed by revolving the knobspindle so as to throw the slotsout of alignment, but the lock may at any timethereafter be locked bymerely shutting thelid, the slotted bearings a, a, of the pivot-pin Ballowing the latch O to be pushed back by the hooked catch K.

In order to prevent the look from being picked by lifting upon the lidand turning the knob-spindle E at the same time, until the slotsin thetwo tumblers come opposite the toe of the latch C, I provide thetumblerFwith oppositely beveled notches or ratchet teeth f preferably arrangedupon each side of the slot f, so that if the spindle be rotatedwhile thelatch-toe be pressed against the tumblers, said too will engage one ofsaid notches and arrest the rotation of the tumbler F before the slotfcan be brought into alignment with the toe. For a similar purpose Ibevel the inner edges of the slotted ends f of .the tumbler F, so thatif the two slots of the tumblers should be brought to register whilethe-toe of the latch O is being pressed inward, said toe would engageone of said bevels and partially revolve the tumbler F so as to throwthe tumblers out of alignment before the latch could be thrown. I haveshown the toe c of the latch C provided with a shoulder a, whichrend'ers'the action just'above described more positive in its operation.By making the stop or lug J adjustable, as before described, thecombination can very quickly and easily be changed, while atthe sametime a very simple and ready means is afforded for adjusting the lock tothe dial, when being applied. The combination can also be very easilyand quickly changed and the direction of rotation necessary to unlockthe lock reversed, by simply turning the spring G upon its securingscrew or pin, so as to cause the end 'g to abut against the oppositeside of stop J.

What I claim is 1. In a permutation lock, the combination with theknob-spindle and dial-plate, of two cencentric tumblers mounted on saidspindle and slotted as shown, one of said tumblers being rigid with saidspindle and the other loose thereon, a spring bearing upon said tumblersand causing them to move in unison When the. knob-spindle is rotated inone direction, and a stop engaged by said spring and holding the loosetumbler stationary when the spindle is rotated in the oppositedirection, and a latch interlocking with said tumblers, substantially asdescribed.

2. In a permutation lock, the combination with the knob-spindle anddial-plate, of two concentric tumblers mounted on said spindle andslotted as shown, one of said tumblers being rigid with said spindle,and the other loose thereon, a spring bearing on the periphcries of saidtumblers and causing them to move in unison when the knob-spindle isrotated in one direction, an adj ustable stop engaged by said spring andholding the loose tumbler stationary when the spindle is r0- tated inthe opposite direction, and a latch interlocking with said tumblers,substantially as described.

3. In a permutation lock, the combination with the knob spindle anddial-plate, of two concentric tumblers mounted on said spindle andslotted as shown, one of said tumblers being rigid with saidspindle,-and the other loose thereon, a reversible spring bearing on theperipheries of said tumblers, and causing them tomove in unison when theknob-spindle isrotated in one direction, an adjustable stop. engaged bysaid spring and holding the loose tumbler stationary when the spindle isrotated in the opposite direction, and a latch interlocking with saidtumblers, substantially as described.

4. In a permutation lock, the combination with the lock casing slottedas at a and a stop J adjustably secured therein, of the knobspindlehaving mounted thereon two slotted tumblers H, F, the tumbler H beingrigid with said spindle and the tumbler F loose thereon, a spring Gcarried by the tumbler H and bearing at one end upon the tumbler F, andhaving its other end adapted to engage the stop J, substantially asdescribed.

5. In a permutation lock, the combination with the lock casin g andknob-spindle, of two concentric tumblers H, F, mounted on said spindle,the tumbler H being rigid therewith and the tumbler F loose thereon, andprovided on its inner edge with beveled notches f, a spring Gr carriedby the tumbler H and bearing at one end upon the tumbler F and havingits other end adapted to engage a stop J, said stop J, and a pivotedlatch adapted to engage said slotted tumblers, substantially as shownand described.

6. In a permutation lock, the combination with the lock-casing A andknob-spindle E, of the pivoted hooked latch O, the spring D actuatingsaid latch, the concentric slotted tumblers H, F, mounted on saidspindle as described, the spring G and stop J, and the hooked catch K,substantially as shown and described.

7. In a permutation lock, the combination with the lock-casing Aprovided with project ing slotted ears a, a, the latch O pivotedtherein, the spring D secured to the casing and bearing against theupper portion of the latch C, the concentric slotted tumblers H, F,mounted on a knob-spindle E as described, the spring G and stop J, andthe hooked catch K, substantially as shown and described.

8. In a permutation lock, the combination with the lock-casin g Aprovided with projecting slotted ears 0., a, the latch C pivotedtherein, the spring D secured to the casing and bearing against theupper portion of the latch C, concentric slotted tumblers H, F, mountedon the knob-spindle E as described, the spring G and stop J, and thehooked catch K, the tail of the latch 0 being shouldered as at c,substantially as shown and described, and for the purpose specified.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

PHILIP (1. BROWN.

Witnesses:

V. STANLEY, CHAS. L. DU BoIs.

